If You’re Traveling to Mexico, Don’t Drink The Alcohol

You read that right. (And you still shouldn't drink the water, either. Montezuma's Revenge is real, folks. Just ask my wife who spent our entire 7-day honeymoon in the bathroom in Cozumel.)

The U.S. State Department has issued an alert to all Americans who are planning to travel to Mexico, which is about 30 million people a year. Officials are warning tourists to drink alcohol in moderation (good luck with that), and to seek medical help immediately if they begin to feel sick. Much of the alcohol in Mexico is produced in unregulated circumstances and can be infused with dangerous grain alcohol or methanol which are much cheaper to make than ethanol.

A 20-year-old tourist from Pewaukee, Wisconsin, died recently after consuming alcohol at an all-inclusive resort near Playa del Carmen. Abbey Connor and her 22-year-old brother, John, had been drinking at a swim-up bar. Ms. Connor was pulled listless from the pool later that afternoon and was flown to Florida where she was ultimately taken off life support.

The State Department was motivated to act after this tragic incident and similar non-fatal instances were reported. The alcohol warning is listed under the "Safety and Security" section of the Department's U.S. Passports and International Travel website.